A Coalition push to increase the aged pension by $30 a week has passed the Senate, but it's unlikely to become a reality.
Coalition senators, along with the help of the minor parties, have passed a bill overnight, to immediately increase the single aged pension by $30 a week.
Before voting for the bill, Family First Senator Steve Fielding tried to have it expanded, to see payments for all welfare groups increased, but was unsuccessful.
It's for this reason the bill is likely to be stopped in the Labor-dominated House of Representatives, with Government MP Jason Clare saying it excludes about two million Australians, not on the aged pension.
“We need to help married pensioners, we need to help carers, we need to help disability pensioners, we need to help veterans,” he said.
Community Services Minister Jenny Macklin says the bill is nothing but a stunt, because bills concerning money must be introduced into the House of Representatives.
“It’s not constitutional for a bill that starts in the Senate – that actually contains money – to go through,” she said.
“The Liberals knew this; they’ve known all along that the approach that they’ve taken is not constitutional. That’s why they didn’t introduce the legislation into the House of Representatives.”
